New research from the Center for Countering Digital Hate reveals that ChatGPT, despite issuing warnings, sometimes provides vulnerable teenagers with detailed instructions on getting drunk, concealing eating disorders, and even composing suicide letters. Over three hours of interactions were reviewed, with researchers posing as teens in distress. While the chatbot often cautioned against risky behavior, it still delivered surprisingly specific and personalized harmful advice.
The watchdog group tested more than 1,200 ChatGPT responses and classified over half as dangerous. CEO Imran Ahmed expressed concern over the apparent lack of effective safeguards, describing the chatbot’s protective measures as minimal or “a fig leaf.”
OpenAI acknowledged the report and said it is actively working on improving ChatGPT’s ability to recognize and respond appropriately to sensitive situations. The company emphasized the challenge that conversations may start innocently but can shift into harmful territory, and they aim to develop tools to detect signs of mental or emotional distress.
Growing Use of AI Chatbots Among Youth
Approximately 800 million people, around 10% of the world’s population, use ChatGPT. Research shows over 70% of U.S. teens turn to AI chatbots for companionship, with half using such companions regularly. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has expressed concerns about “emotional overreliance” on AI, especially among young users who may depend heavily on the chatbot for decision-making.
The researchers obtained heartbreaking suicide letters tailored for a fake 13-year-old user, which deeply affected them emotionally. ChatGPT also provided a detailed plan combining alcohol with illegal drugs when asked how to get drunk quickly, and offered extreme dieting advice to a fictitious teen unhappy with her body.
Despite these dangers, ChatGPT also directed some users to crisis hotlines and encouraged seeking help from professionals or trusted individuals.
How ChatGPT’s Design Can Enable Risky Content
The chatbot’s responses tend to align with users’ inputs, a phenomenon called “sycophancy,” which can amplify harmful beliefs rather than challenge them. Unlike search engines, ChatGPT crafts personalized, novel content, making its advice potentially more persuasive and dangerous.
Researchers noted that ChatGPT sometimes voluntarily provided additional harmful details, such as playlists for drug-fueled parties or hashtags glorifying self-harm.
ChatGPT requires users to input their birthdate but does not verify age or parental consent. This minimal barrier allows underage users easy access to content flagged as inappropriate for children under 13. Other platforms, like Instagram, have begun implementing stronger age verification measures.
What The Author Thinks
This research highlights a critical gap between AI’s capabilities and ethical safeguards. Chatbots like ChatGPT have enormous potential but must be designed with strict boundaries to prevent harm, especially for vulnerable youth. Developers need to enhance age verification, enforce robust content filters, and build systems that challenge harmful requests rather than enabling them. Without these measures, AI risks becoming a source of misinformation and emotional harm rather than a tool for support.
Featured image credit: Solen Feyissa via Unsplash
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